Musk Reads: 5 incredible Starlink mission photos
Starlink is captured in incredible photos; Crew Dragon just overcame a major safety hurdle; and Elon Musk cries foul over report by a NASA watchdog.
The SpaceX Starlink mission is captured in five incredible photos; its Crew Dragon capsule just overcame a major safety hurdle following redesign; and Elon Musk cries foul over report by a NASA watchdog. It’s Musk Reads: SpaceX Edition #122.
A version of this article appeared in the “Musk Reads” newsletter. Sign up for free here.
Musk quote of the week
“This doesn’t seem right…Meaning not fair that Boeing gets so much more for the same thing.”
- Elon Musk on Twitter responding to a report by a NASA watchdog that found Boeing seat prices are 60 percent higher than SpaceX.
5 incredible Starlink mission photos
SpaceX’s Starlink took to the skies a week ago, and it left an impressive trail in the sky.
As the Falcon 9 soared up from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on November 11, it marked a new step in SpaceX’s efforts to start a new business venture. The rocket lifted up 60 Starlink satellites, tiny crafts that could one day orbit the Earth in their thousands, providing ultra-fast, low-latency internet access almost anywhere in the world.
The launch also marked three firsts: the first time SpaceX has flown the same booster four times, the first time SpaceX has landed the same booster four times, and the first time it has reflown the protective fairing shield.
With that in mind, SpaceX’s Monday launch could be far more than an impressive display of rocket prowess.
See the awe-inspiring photos here… 🚀
In other SpaceX news…
One small step for the Crew Dragon, one giant leap for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
SpaceX completed a full-duration static test fire Wednesday of the capsule’s launch escape system. It follows a previous attempt in April, which led to a severe failure and forced SpaceX to redesign some of the capsule’s components. The test’s success means the Crew Dragon has come another step closer to completing its in-flight abort test, which demonstrates that it can carry humans to safety in case of a launch gone awry.
It’s a welcome step forward for NASA’s program, which has tasked SpaceX and Boeing with developing a capsule that can ferry its astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Although designed to replace NASA’s existing contract with Russian space agency Roscosmos, delays in the program led the Government Accountability Office to urge NASA to come up with a plan B over the summer.
Musk Reads mailroom
Musk Reads mailroom is taking a break for this edition, but please keep your feedback and questions about all things Elon Musk coming. We’ll do our best to offer a well-researched answer. Email them at muskreads@inverse.com.
SpaceX links from around the web
Here are the most interesting things about Elon Musk we’ve seen on the web this week.
Bloomberg:
Washington Post:
Reddit:
YouTube:
Lex Fridman/YouTube:
The ultra-fine print
This has been Musk Reads: SpaceX Edition #122, the weekly rundown of essential reading about futurist and entrepreneur Elon Musk. I’m Nick Lucchesi, executive editor of Inverse. Mike Brown returns on Wednesday.
- Email Mike directly at mike.brown@inverse.com and follow Inverse on Twitter @inversedotcom. Follow Mike on Twitter: @mikearildbrown.
- Got any comments or queries? Don’t forget to send them over to muskreads@inverse.com.
A version of this article appeared in the “Musk Reads” newsletter. Sign up for free here.
